Japanese Restaurants – Page 25

The Nakasendo Trail – Onward to Tsumago

April 29, 2017 mmm-yoso Hida-Takayama and Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Travel

After heading uphill at Magome; the well marked trail meanders off; up and downhill, across roads and sometimes for short spans alongside the highway.

Occasionally, you'd hear the ringing of the "Bear Bell" off in the distance. So, we started doing the same as well when coming across those bells.

You'd sometimes come across a small village…..

Some of which look like the real life rendition of a painting.

There are a couple of restrooms along the way and a few rest stops. The mild drizzle, wasn't much more than a mild nuisance. After heading down from the summit of the Magome is this place; the Tateba Tea House (Ichikoku Tochi Tateba Chaya), a nice rest stop.

Volunteers from the local preservation association runs this quaint, rustic tea house, and it gives you insight into life during the days before electricity and other conveniences.

A "kagizuru", the traditional Japanese hearth is central heating; though there was also a wood burning cast iron stove onto one side. We learned that the smoke keeps insects and pests out and helps to harden and treat the wood.

There was a tour group of German and French who were just getting ready to leave when we arrived. The guide greeted us in Japanese and I answered. When I thanked her for the nice history of the building she looked shocked, then laughed. I guess we really can pass for Japanese here! You get a nice pot of tea and some snacks gratis. Just don't forget to leave a small donation so this place can keep on doing their thing.

It seems that everything has a story here. Like this union of two cypress trees that have been joined as one.

A "Husband and Wife" tree.

The forest near the halfway point between Magome and Tsumago is quite beautiful. Tall, straight trees reach to the skies…..

The crystal clear water in streams roll pass…..

Much like when we hiked the Samaria Gorge; we found some fallen branches and ended up using them as walking sticks.

Leaning them against a wall at the outskirts of Tsumago, thinking they may be of help to folks walking in the opposite direction one day.

Eventually, you get to the hill that overlooks a couple of villages with Tsumago in the distance.

And you follow the signs as the trail leads to Tsumago.

Tsumago itself is quite atmospheric; you feel like you've stepped into the past.

And the overcast skies and occasional drizzle seemed to add to things…….

We came across this display in one of the buildings.

Man, it was quite an impressive Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day) display. According to the sign; this region celebrates Hinamatsuri one month later than other areas.

If you'd like to see the panoramic photo below; I'd click on it to enlarge.

The Missus was just struck by the harmonic beauty…but I was getting hungry.

Since the Missus can read Kanji; She pointed out this Soba Shop.

So we decided to grab some lunch…..

Hot Soba sounded quite nice on this damp day.

The Missus went with this version of Sansai Soba.

I went with the Tororo (grated yam) version.

Nothing fancy, but nice a soothing on this day. The noodles were not quite the texture I enjoy, but the broth was quite nice.

Turns out this place is pretty well known in the guide books and such.

Yoshimuraya
860-1, Azuma, Nagiso,
Kiso,399-5302

Bellies full, we headed off to the "bus station"…….

For the bus to Nagiso.

Our train from Nagiso back to Nagoya, wouldn't be leaving until nearly 4pm, so we stopped by a shop and got some tea and wagashi.

We arrived back in Nagoya a few minutes after 5pm. It had been a wonderful day.

Thanks for reading!

And if you want a bit more; check this out

Doing Part of the Nakasendo Trail – Starting Off in Magome

April 28, 2017 mmm-yoso Hida-Takayama and Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Travel

As I've mentioned before; during our trips we like to take a detour; whether flying over the Nazca Lines, spending a night in a tent in the Grand Erg Oriental (albeit, quite a luxurious tent), hiking from Matra to Taphin, the Samaria Gorge, or the Great Wall from one province to another (sounds more impressive of an effort than it is), I try to plan something that's "fun" for the Missus. Which usually means I'll be huffing and puffing along while the Missus has a blast. While planning this trip; I'd read about the Nakasendo Trail, one of the "Five Routes", the administrative routes created during the Edo Period, which connected Edo (now Tokyo), to the outer provinces of Japan. Because of where I had projected our "path" on this trip, taking in that Kyoto was a "must" and trying to make it as fun and interesting for us as possible; I picked Nagoya as our hub for a whopping three nights….remember, the Missus doesn't like staying anywhere too long. So when I read about the most frequented (and easiest) portion of the Nakasendo trail, from Magome to Tsumago being within easy reach….I thought it would be a great day trip.

And so, there we were waiting for the Shinano 1 on track 10 at the JR Nagoya Station. We were bushed and it seemed the Ekiben pickins' were a bit slim (there was something we wanted to try, but it was too early), so we did the obvious and headed to…..the vending machines…..

And a few yen later, we had some nice hot black coffee (there's a brand I like, but for some reason I can't remember it right now) and some red bean soup and some corn soup (I've loved the stuff since I had it on Sapporo). Though we didn't do nearly as well as the older gentleman who was hitting the Kirin at 7am! For those who watch Gourmet Samurai and saw episode 1 (FWIW, while I enjoy GS, I really enjoy Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories) and saw the inner turmoil of deciding whether to have a beer with lunch or not…..that dude had no qualms! You gotta admire such decisiveness, right?

The train took us to Nakatsugawa. Of course, due to my not quite understanding the bus schedule from Nakatsugawa to Magome; we arrived a bit early.

Though when you're on vacation, those things seem minor….so we set about to grab a cup of coffee and maybe a snack and headed off from the train station.

And found there wasn't much going on at 745am in Nakatsugawa….at least close to where we were at…..

I did mention that the visitor center/TI opened at 8am, so we headed there…..

Where there is the inevitable "local products" shop….something we love so much. The Missus bought some local tea and I grabbed one wagashi……the Missus loves persimmon, so I got what I basically believe is suikanshuku, thinking I'd grab some tea from the vending machine. But, after paying for our stuff, the really nice gentleman working, insisted that we have two cups of the local green tea.

Which is why we both love Japan so much. Anyway, along with some water….and those two cups of tea…..well, the Missus really loved the little treat.

Soon enough, the bus was leaving…….it was about a 25 minute bus ride….and to think the Missus wanted me to walk to Magome!

We finally made it to the stop, at the bottom of the street from Magome.

The air was so crisp, the view beautiful…..and so quiet. No cars are allowed on the main street in Magome.

So we headed up from the main road.

It's a beautiful walk up the winding streets that takes you to a different time.

The Missus and I decided to wait and let the other pass and head off. No offense, but there's a kind of amazing lack of chatter in Japan that makes us want to hear something other than the sound of voices…..

So we took our time…….look at the specials of the day served here!

We saw a stand selling steamed buns and decided to stop there and have our breakfast.

It was what seemed to be an intentionally rustic little stand, to fit in……with all the charm that is Japan. The service was gracious and kind and the steamed buns were decent….I actually enjoyed the preserved vegetable more than the eggplant, for that wonderful spinach-chy, slightly salty, chlorophyllic flavor I enjoy.

We then headed up the hill………

And then down, to come across something interesting…….

So every 200 meters or so are these bells….and from what I heard, you can go to the TI and get your own, handy-dandy, anti-black bear bell…….so you ring the bells to scare away the bears. But being the somewhat cynical person I am, I wondered two things; heck if I were a black bear, this wouldn't scare me away….this would be the "dinner bell", though secondly, we saw some interesting four paw tracks along the way….which freaked me out a bit……and I forgot to take photos….my bad. Still, it was fun to hear the bells "ringing" along the way….take no chances and all that, right?

The trail itself went up and down hills and even across current roads/highways……

But you'd always come across something interesting….like the replication of the traditional town notice board.

These Kosatsuba laid down the law for all who passed.

The Missus really enjoyed this hike. Along with the seasonal beauty……

Was a bit of history. Which made things a lot easier…..at least for me.

Thanks for reading!

Hotaru Ika (Firefly Squid) at Yakitori Taisho

April 27, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

You could probably figure that my first "Japanese" restaurant meal since returning from Japan would be at Yakitori Taisho. We've decided that we love the spring bounty in Japan and wouldn't you know it; Taisho had one of those items; Hotaru Ika – Firefly Squid. We actually had a nice version at our favorite restaurant, Suzunari in Tokyo.

I had expected this to be possibly a bit dried out, but it was not. Fairly tender, it basically bursts upon biting and is kind of acquired taste; oceany with what I would call a rather pleasant bitterness from its liver. I enjoyed it.

So we can now add this to squid beaks, Babylon snails, gizzard "skin", quail, and one really awesome beef tongue dish.

And I had all the usual items of course.

And I had a nice chat with Taka-san about his hometown of Nagoya….and of the regional specialties of course.

And this place that we visited…..

Man, I'm missing Japan already……

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Tokyo to Nagoya and Dinner at Hitsumabushi Bincho

April 21, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

Each of our three trips to Japan started and ended in Tokyo….naturally in Tokyo Station (actually Narita Airport, but you get the point). By now, we kind of had a habit when catching the Shinkansen to whatever our destination was. One of the items on that list….hit up an Ekiben stand.

This one was a special, to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Shinkansen line to Hokkaido. It was about ten bucks and yes, that's real crab. The oysters were decent; but it was the ikura that made this delicious. It's always fun to watch the Shinkansen go by and count how many people you see eating a bento. Well, when in Japan we're one of those.

Like any large city, it's also fun to people watch. We like to sit for a while in the seats across from the Shinkansen ticket machines. and while I missed taking a photo of the portly man wearing pink "Hello Kitty" sweats….I was basically in shock. I found this guy interesting as he carefully documented all his omiyage.

For some reason, I really noticed a lot of the signs, especially on trains and in train stations on this trip. I found them interesting and sometimes a bit humorous. Like this one titled "How to use a toilet"…..just in case you've forgotten. Step 1 is the most important….. I'm always wondering, how many cases of what behavior inspired these posters.

While planning out this trip, I found that Nagoya fit perfectly in our plans. So while we'd made a quick dinner visit in the past, this time we'd be staying. Since we travel very light; we need to have facilities with a washer a few times during our visit. In Nagoya, this meant finding an AirBnB, which was super conveniently located, literally within two blocks from JR Nagoya Station. Though the downside was it being spartanly furnished (my original reservation for what looked like a larger, nicer unit was cancelled) and that it was literally next to the train tracks.

I was relieved that the noise at night didn't bother the Missus too much. And we were gone for most of the days in Nagoya.

One of the great thing about Japan is that every town or city seems to have its specialty….at least in the snack department. Nagoya has several special dishes that I wanted to try. Taka-san at Taisho said I really needed to have Hitsumabushi; Nagoya's version of Unadon. After doing quite a bit of walking already, we decided to stay close by for dinner. Right at the exit of the JR Nagoya Station are escalators leading down to ESCA Underground Shopping Center. Much like Tokyo Station "City", there's a couple of interconnected malls under Nagoya Station. In ESCA, I had mapped out Hitsumabushi Bincho, a Nagoya based chain well known for their Nagoya style Unagi bowl.

Here unagi is grilled over what is regarded as high quality binchotan. The place was pretty quiet when we arrived at about 5pm.

We decided to order the 1 1/2 order of Hitsumabushi to share and a couple of other dishes. And of course "nama biru"……

I was quite happy to see Unagi Hone-senbei on the menu.

I really enjoy fried fish bones….potato chips of the sea. Savory, lightly salted, fairly light and very crisp. Nice savory flavors…and heck, I get my calcium too! Did I mention that it goes great with beer?

We would find other versions that were much cheaper than this, but it was a nice start for me.

The Missus, curious about some of the dishes ordered the Grilled Eel Liver (kimoyaki).

I've had this before and warned the Missus about how bitter it can be. Actually, the tare used on this was just sweet enough to ward off some of the bitterness, though it still caught the Missus a bit off guard. The aroma of the caramelized tare was fantastic. Maybe the best version I've had of this dish.

She also ordered a version of Itawasa. This one was interesting.

The "kamaboko" was very nice, great balanced salty-savory flavors…..all I can say is "good surimi", something I'm not really used to here in the states. The wasabi dip was interesting. There was some minced vegetable in it; a mild bitter-pungent, and a strong fermented flavor; which is probably miso, but the texture was interesting, like perhaps fermented fish? It was quite lovely and a great pairing; the sweet-pungency of the wasabi based dip with the fish cake. I know, I've just written almost a hundred words about eating kamaboko.

And then the main dish….which was accompanied by an instruction card. This one in both Japanese and English.

Apparently, eating this dish the "Nagoya way" is serious business. According to the documentation, this is a three step process. Which we, of course followed.

The Eel itself is wonderfully textured. In the states, the skin is often chewy, here it isn't. The tare is quite complex, mild sweetness, deep interesting flavors. The flesh of the eel basically melts in your mouth, the fat content quite good.

The rice, in comparison to other places in Japan is ok, a bit too hard by my standards. The best combination is number 2, with wasabi; the floral-sweet-pungent tones and the green onion really brought out the best in the eel and added texture. The Chazuke just seemed to water down the flavors for us.

This was a nice and quite filling first meal in Nagoya for us. The service was very friendly and as with most places in Japan quite accommodating.

Hitsumabushi Bincho (ESCA Shop)
ESCA Underground Shopping Center (#45 on the directory)
Tsubakimachi 6 No. 9 Gosaki Esca
Tsubakicho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, 453-0015
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 330pm and 5pm – 10pm

We took a walk around the area, stopped at the 7-11 to pick up a couple of beers, went back to the apartment to relax and celebrate the fact that we were back in Japan. Tomorrow, we'd be "hiking" (again, remember, I'm here with the Missus) part of the Nakasendō trail. I needed to rest up.

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo – Breakfast at Yaesu Hatsufuji (again), Ueno Park, and Kitanomaru Park

April 20, 2017 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

After having a nice dinner in Tokyo the night before; we awoke nice and refreshed. We wouldn't be leaving for Nagoya until 130pm, so the Missus was really interested in checking things out. She was really excited about getting to see the Sakura. I'd been monitoring the Cherry Blossom Forecast and told the Missus we'd probably be missing things in Tokyo (until we returned) and Nagoya, but looked like we were on schedule for Kyoto. Still, I decided we should go to Ueno Park.

But first, breakfast. The Missus really enjoyed breakfast at Yaesu Hatsufuji on our last trip and wanted to eat the simple, but satisfying Japanese breakfast here again. We found a convenient locker, near the JR office, stowed our bags, and found the restaurant soon after.

It was still early, so we strolled around a bit. When we got back to the restaurant, there was already a line!

As the place opened, the line to the ticket machine moved quickly. We made our choices, paid, got our tickets…walked into the place, gave the woman our tickets and were guided to a table.

The Missus enjoys the tea that is provided. She went with the Natto Set (620¥) again; which She loves.

What really surprised me this time around was how good the sashimi was!

I got the Tonjiro Set (520¥), with the exchange rate a bargain at about $4.75!

The miso and pork based soup/stew was quite comforting, not too salty….in spite of being the end of March, there was still a bit of a chill in the air in the morning and this did the trick. Man, that rice was really good too……something that I notice about the Japan.

This place is a favorite of ours. I've posted on it before, so I'll leave it at that.

Yaesu Hatsufuji
Yaesu underground shopping center North 1, 2-1, Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0028

So, this is Japan. You eat and get the heck out of dodge….breakfast was less than 20 minutes long so it was not long before we caught the JR Yamanote Line, getting off in Ueno in less than ten minutes.

Ueno Park is pretty large, with a number of Museums and a Zoo on its property. But, we were here for the cherry blossoms. The thing that stuck with us the most about our visit here is learning about the phenomenon of the Hanami Party.

So Hanami basically means "flower viewing" and it's obvious that in this case it means Cherry Blossom viewing. But there's this kind of interesting, for us, a bit goofy, thing called a Hanami Party. Here it seems like folks reserve a spot….setting our plastic tarps to celebrate. It looks like someone needs to keep on the reserved bit of real estate until the party. Man, it was still pretty darn cold at night here…..that's kind of nuts. It does seem like the "spring renewal" has an effect on people….there's this infectious, well, goofiness that is all around. Hope springs eternal.

And for all the partiers, there're the folks who can't walk past a tree without taking a photo…..two interesting groups…..

And while things weren't quite perfect yet….those folks will probably be spending a few more cold nights sleeping on tarps in the park, the transposition of colors is still quite stunning.

I saw a small folded tarp with one guy lying on it….just enough space for him…..which is when I asked the Missus; "is there such a thing as a hanami party for one?"

Just ask the statue of Prince Komatsu Akihito.

It seems that it was all "Hanami" for us right now…….which distracted me from all else that Ueno Park has to offer.

Though I did take some time to check out a couple of things. Like the Hair Pagoda for Priest Tenkai……check out the link. It's an interesting story…plus, he lived to be 108!

And on Kiyomizu Kannon-do; the recreation of the Pine Tree of the Moon. Though I spy some food stalls on the path to Benten-do.

And based on all the food (and drink) booths around; this must be some kind of party at night……..

By this time, the Missus was ready to head back to Tokyo Station….though it was still early. So I thought we'd head out of the station.

And around the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

And over to Kitanomaru Park. Where we strolled around and saw two young ladies pushing carts with very young kids in it…..

It was fun watching the little ones having their day at the park……

We enjoyed walking the trails…..

Soon enough, it was time to head back to Tokyo Station. We decided to walk through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. This is the Tōkagakudō, the music hall…..

I think there were places open on this visit that were closed off the last time we were here. Of course, folks were enjoying the Cherry Blossoms here as well.

We got back to the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station and the Missus decided She wanted to try one of the "sakura" drinks at Tully's Coffee.

Which She enjoyed.

I guess that's the deal with spring here. Everything is born anew….hope is in the air….life begins…..and you have no choice but to enjoy it.

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo – Horumon Dedesuke

April 11, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It was great being back in Japan. Because this was going to be a rather short trip, our days were going to be quite busy and we'd be making good use of our JR Pass and Suica Card. While our flight to Narita was going to be arriving at around 5pm; I figured that by the time we got thru customs (pretty quick in Japan), got our pocket wifi, activated our JR Pass, got our train tickets for the following day, get to Tokyo Station, and check into our hotel, it would be around 830 or so. Which was a good estimate. Even though 9 or even midnight is not especially late in Tokyo; I still didn't want to be hunting around for a place to eat.

The Missus had really enjoyed the Horumon (offal) we'd had on our previous trip, I decided to make reservations at Horumon Dedesuke which was a mere 10 minute walk from our hotel in Ginza.

We found the place with little problem; having downloaded a photo of the storefront and using Google Maps.

One of the few phrases in Japanese I do know is "Yoyaku shitemasu xxxx des." As in "I have a booking for….." And they did have seats ready for us in a tiny corner as the place was packed.

In spite of flying Business Class…the seats on the San Diego – Narita route 787s don't go all the way to 180 degrees, so we didn't get much shut eye and we were kind of tired. So, a nice cold "nama biru" was just the thing. The Missus had a nice HiBall.

Our table top grill was prepped and some vegetables brought out and we were on our way……

First up, what was called the "Root of Tongue" on the menu……

This is the rear portion of the beef tongue; it was seasoned perfectly, was surprisingly tender, and very "beefy".

We found that we didn't need to use any of the typical provided sauces for any of the cuts we had. all were nicely seasoned.

Next to arrive was the one cooked dish; the Stewed Beef Tendon.

The "sauce" was that tasty salty-sweet we associate with Japanese cuisine; with an added Korean (as is with most Yakiniku places) touch of spice.

The tendon and associated beef parts were amazingly tender and a joy to eat.

I love "Harami"; skirt steak, so we ordered the prime skirt.

Man, this was really tender and beefy, just needing a slight sear on the grill…..rare was the best way to have this.

And then the "offal-ness" of it all started, with a triple threat.

With….from the left to the right; sliced small intestine, thymus gland, and large intestine. The small intestine was superb; quite fatty, toothsome, with a mild, pleasant, and surprisingly "clean" flavor to it. The large intestine, as expected was much more chewy, more "offal-ly", though also enjoyable. When I saw thymus gland on the menu, I immediately thought "veal sweetbreads", which is what I'm used too. These were quite tough and chewy; I'm thinking they were taken from an adult cow? That was probably the least enjoyable item we had.

This was a very good meal to start off our trip. The Missus has really taken to yakiniku and horumon. I just wished we had more of it here.

Horumondedesuke (ホルモンでですけ)

3-3-9 Ginza

Chuo, Tokyo

As we slowly strolled back to our hotel, we took it all in, the bright lights, the immenseness of it all, yet balanced out with the clean, the quiet……it was great being back in Tokyo.

Oiishi-Santee (again)

April 9, 2017 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Thai Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoyo!!! is a food blog. Kirk is not posting right now (he's enduring transportation), nor is Ed (from Yuma)(who is enduring life without a computer). Cathy (enduring procrastinators) is sharing a meal today.

I first wrote a post about Oiishi in 2006, during my first 'vacation replacement' stint for Kirk and His Missus. Other posts were in 2008 and 2011. Since this is right down the street from home, The Mister and I stop here regularly, but take no photos…we just eat.

Japanese and Thai Cuisine are the menu choices here. Over the years, there's been a remodel of the small interior. Neat, clean, simple. (A pot of green tea is $2.75 and very good.) The 13 seat sushi bar is filled on most nights. The cucumber salad ($3.50) is refreshing, made with a simple rice vinegar and sesame seeds. The satay chicken appetizer ($7.95) can be (and usually is) a meal for me. It's served with a house made peanut based sauce that is thick, smooth and caramel-like in consistency; complimentary to the grilled white meat chicken pieces. The spicy fish plate ($12.95) is served with some sautéed bell peppers and onions and a small side salad along with rice. The spice level here is 1-10 and a 5 is quite pleasant.

A nice, longstanding neighborhood Thai-Japanese restaurant.

Oiishi 10251 Mast Boulevard Santee 92071 Website New Hours: Mon-Fri 11-3, 4:30-9 Sat 12-9 Closed Sunday

Kula – conveyor sushi- San Diego location

March 31, 2017 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! It's a food blog with three primary contributors: Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy. The guys are otherwise engaged and Cathy is writing todays post.

I wrote about Kula before this Kaiten-zushi chain opened a storefront in San Diego, two years ago. Getting there at opening is the best way to find a free parking spot; there's a new parking structure around the corner which charges you for the privilege of parking.

There is a Kyobee tablet (like an iPad) out front where you sign in, leaving your mobile number, which will notify you of how much longer your wait will be (and eventually tell you to 'Get back to the entrance!!!') . Again, get there at the 11 a.m. opening and viola! no wait. There are booths as well as bar seats for those wishing to eat alone (or not wait for a booth). The conveyor passes all of the seating areas. The first plate 'announces' what the following three plates contain and you can choose one by grabbing the edge of the covered plate and the protective covering lifts up. All of the choices from the conveyor are $2.25 each. Scallops, seared yellowtail, two pieces on each plate were a good portion. The large pieces of tuna were very fresh. This was the 'spicy popcorn shrimp roll'- two pieces of fried shrimp with a spicy sauce and masago on top served on top of two slices of crab roll. By far, the cucumber salad was my favorite this warm day; a fancy version, it comes with tamago, cuts of fish, octopus (or squid), and seaweed. Topped with some crunchy sesame seeds, it's a light meal in itself. The vinegar based dressing is refreshing.
At each seating area is a tablet with an order panel for additional items. There is a 'countdown clock' so you can expect the arrival (and know it is being prepared fresh). The item shows up right at your table, on a second belt. We ordered a few things.
The tempura vegetables with shrimp on rice ($5.80) was quite perfect in its fry technique. The rice was good to have with the rest of our meal. this came with a bowl of miso, making it a complete meal. The soft shell crab ($4.20) was another good choice. Again, perfectly fried We also ordered 'crispy squid' ($3.20), which was plentiful and fried just right.

When you are finished, you slide your green (from the conveyor) plates in that slot so they are counted. There are small 'prizes' that are discharged from a machine above the top belt, but you have to have inserted 15 plates to get that trinket.

All in all, a fun experience.

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar Convoy San Diego 92111 Open Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Website

Noodling Around – Revisits to Menya Ultra and Pho T Cali

March 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Just noodling around on this Saturday:

Menya Ultra Ramen:

I actually went back a couple of days after my first visit. There was no line, all the customers were Japanese and I got the Chashu Ramen.

The chashu while well flavored and moist, was just too much of a good thing and I left quite full. Still, the noodles were again perfect, just the right amount of pull with a bit of pull, nice and slippery, and a good vehicle for the collagen in the broth, which was, like my previous visit, a solid tonkotsu.

About two weeks later, I found out my haircut guy was working relatively close by and having read about the crowds in the comments on my post….I was curious. I got there at 1045…and no kidding; there were over 30 people waiting in line.

I'm usually not one to wait in line; but I was curious if this new popularity would change anything about the ramen at Ultra. So I put my name on the list….and waited about 30 minutes to get in.

I went with the Ajitama Ramen with an extra egg.

While the noodles were still perfect for my taste and the boiled egg was much better…..lukewarm instead of cold and not as "cooked". There were several things I noticed. The broth had less of a fragrance and indeed, while being fairly mild and nuanced before, was much less rich….more fatty, but lacking in the real noodle coating capacity. It was still good….just not quite as good as my previous two visits.

I'll wait a few months before going back. It'll be interesting to see how things progress. I think it's still the best straight up tonkotsu in San Diego.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho T Cali:

**** Pho T Cali is now PT Eatery

In my Pho Duyen Mai "dem bones" post; I mentioned being told that the prices at Pho T Cali had gone up quite a bit. While Pho T Cali has never been a favorite of mine, I recall the prices being fairly reasonable. I think it was still under seven bucks when I declared it "aw pho".

Pho T Cali is basically within walking distance from my office…..but of course my previous experiences kind of keep me away….but I just had to see……had it really hit the "ten dollar pho" category?

Upon arriving and having the menu handed to me….I saw…yes indeed, the dac biet was now $9.95.

So for ten bucks I got this.

The broth had almost no color and had a strong onion taste. It looked like dishwater. While the texture of the tripe was good, it had a strange aftertaste; the tendon was decent though. The portion of noodles was quite large and adequately prepared.

The serving of sprouts and such was paltry to say the least.

I think this is why I saw folks (I was the only Asian in the place) dumping in loads of Hoisin and Sriracha into their pho.

On a rather amusing note; a few days later I received an email from "AlanH" regarding Pho T Cali….I'm hoping you won't mind me using a few excerpts Alan? Some of the, ahem, "highlites" of his email were….

"A -small- Pho "Chin" is now $8.95 (I almost walked out at that point, but was too hungry for Pho)"

"They have totally dumbed and stripped down the menu, which should have been my first warning sign…They have gone to the all photo model with a bit of basic text with prices. "

"The "herbal accessory plate" was its usual mediocre affair, but the basil was even more paltry and under-developed than usual (if the basil was human it would have needed a wheelchair)."

"As they do not serve / have Ngo Gai, I asked for a small portion / bowl of cilantro…THEY WERE OUT OF F'ING CILANTRO!!!!!" " Is there a cilantro shortage I was not aware of?"

"I just paid $11.00 (with tip) for a mediocre -at best- bowl of Pho. Is this Manhattan? No, this is not Manhattan……Manhattan would have had cilantro….."

All I can say Alan is…."I feel (or ate…or something like that) your pain".

Pho T Cali
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

This has me wondering….in a very twisted way; if I were to think the Pho at Pho Mignon is still worse than this.

Tokyo – Oreshiki Jun

March 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region

Our trip to Japan had pretty much come to an end….there was still one more stop though. Much like what we on our previous visit, we left for Tokyo Station rather early, stowed our luggage, and went straight for ramen street. The last time it was Rokurinsha….this time the decision was a bit harder….the Missus wanted to share some Tonkotsu ramen so we settles on Oreshiki Jun.

We got our ticket at the vending machine, entered and was seated quickly…….it seemed like all the customers in the shop were Salarymen.

I went with the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen which featured a nice, albeit a bit salty portion of mentaiko.

The egg was perfect as were the noodles. I wasn't a big fan of the tonkotsu here as it was a lot milder in flavor….even for a tonkotsu broth than I prefer. It also lacked that nice tongue coating quality I enjoy in that style of broth in addition to being served a bit too cold for my taste. The chashu here is a bit leaner and more chewy than other versions, but makes up for that with a nice porkiness. I really enjoyed the "rayu" (chili oil), which in this case seemed to have some bean paste in it….a wonderful, spicy, savory, package of flavor.

I actually preferred what the Missus ordered.

A nice little rice bowl with raw egg, chashu, and bean sprouts, along with an extra order of bean sprouts, chashu, and negi….along with an extra boiled egg. All worked together quite nicely!

So, perhaps not the best last meal in Japan…..still, we had many memorable experiences again. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we return.

Oreshiki Jun (Tokyo Station)
1-9-1 Marunochi, Chiyoda, Tokyo

One thing was quite apparent. The Missus really enjoys Tokyo Station City. To the point that She got Her "hair done" twice at this kind of "fast" hair salon named Fass. You basically go in and order your stuff on an iPad. Of course we couldn't really understand anything the first time around….so this really nice, adorable woman came out and the Missus had Her bangs cut. Well, with some time on our hands, the Missus decided She wanted a trim.

We walked in and it was the same woman….who got a kick out of seeing us. Apparently, they don't get too many foreign customers. This time the Missus wanted a trim and some styling, which she did with gusto. At the end, she couldn't stop giggling, telling us "kawaii….kawaii" (cute). I think she had more fun than we did.

You really couldn't help but love Japan……